Winners Announced at the Regional Press Awards
The Daily Mail has been crowned the Newspaper of the Year at the Society of Editors Press Awards for its campaigning on a number of issues during 2016 and its coverage of the Brexit debate.
The judges said: “In the seismic year of Brexit, the battle for No 10 and campaigning journalism, the winner had its finger on the pulse of the national conversation. Not only did it shape both the agenda and the narrative it reflected the temper of a large part of the country in a year of political upheaval. It was a must-read across the political and public spectrum and its strong and provocative voice never wavered.
“From crusading reports on press freedom to Brexit, the Sepsis scandal, the madness of drivers using mobile phones, wasteful foreign aid spending, betrayal of Afghan interpreters, the harm caused by ‘plastic poison’ and the battle to end the witch-hunt against British troops, the conviction of the paper’s commentary and campaigning in 2016 was matched only by its energy. It is also never afraid to have a strong opinion.
“It is the job of a newspaper to hold power to account and to forensically question and probe those who act in our name.
“The decision of the judges was that it dominated the narrative and produced agenda-setting and stand out coverage in 2016.”
Other big winners at the awards were The Times, Financial Times, The Sunday Times and The Guardian. The Telegraph’s executive director Lord Black of Brentwood was awarded the Journalists’ Charity of the Year Award, recognising his work for the charity and Archant’s The New European was awarded the Chairman’s Award in recognition of its success and quality journalism.